Based on pau being 34, Rose question marks, Noah contract up next year and also when you factor in this is the cavs first season together as you know next year onwards cavs will get even better as they add talent to their bench and the potential that haywood expiring contract could have.

Or do you see bulls being able to be as good going forward with the development of their rookies and Butler?

In the East? Yes. While Cleveland is sorting out their issues, and Bron doesn't look 100%. But we still really need Derrick to be healthy, playing games, getting better ... and he'll be in or out of the lineup seemingly for the rest of his career. Resting every hint of soreness to counter act Thibs go too hard approach that facilitated his ACL tear in 2012. Derrick is scared shitless of his body right now. It's obvious. We still need another true playmaker.

anything can happen in the east, gasol has looked DONE for like 3 years and he flourished (literally) this season. anyway, chi may make the finals but chances of defeating a western champ this year (bar injuries) are slim at best

Absolutely. Most talented team since the Jordan era. Bulls in 2010-11 were very good, won 62 games, 3 games from the finals. But this team is even better.

The Rose injury situation is all that matters for this team. If he can make it to the playoffs w/out major injury, they have a real shot. Bulls and Thibs have to find a way to make it to the playoffs intact.

Remember in 2010-11, Bulls were starting Keith Bogans at 2 and Boozer was the starting 4. Replace those two with the emerging Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol, and the Bulls are already much better. The 10-11 Bulls had a great bench and the current Bulls dont have Asik to bring off the bench, but the Bulls also didnt have a prime Noah and Gibson to go w/ Pau, not to mention bench players Brooks, McDermott, and Mirotic provide more outside shooting than the Bulls have had in the Rose era. And Captain Kirk is one of the toughest players in the league, and provides leadership that is hard to find.

We'll see. The West is a battlefield like it is every year but this season, the only team that i can see beating a "healthy" Bulls team is Cleveland, MAYBE Washington.

Based on pau being 34, Rose question marks, Noah contract up next year and also when you factor in this is the cavs first season together as you know next year onwards cavs will get even better as they add talent to their bench and the potential that haywood expiring contract could have.

Or do you see bulls being able to be as good going forward with the development of their rookies and Butler?

Butler is an X factor. If he drops 20 pts in the playoffs with 45% shooting and insane defense as he usually does, it's their Eastern Conference Title to lose.

anything can happen in the east, gasol has looked DONE for like 3 years and he flourished (literally) this season. anyway, chi may make the finals but chances of defeating a western champ this year (bar injuries) are slim at best

In other topic, Rose should end his career in Phoenix or San Antonio. The first one because of the brilliant medical staff which could extend his career and the second one because Pop will limit his minutes while getting the best out of his talents.